Take My Hand
by Hoshiko
Summary: Shinobu's sick, and Mitsuru is the one taking care of him (shounen ai, rated PG for mild language)
1. Default Chapter

Take My Hand - Part 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing Greenwood related that would result in my being sued.

Feedback onegai! ^_^ 

****************************

Take My Hand - Part 1

****************************  
  
  
You've gotta take my hand  
And lead me to where you are  
You know I'll follow  
To show me the way to your heart  
  
Think you've locked your heart away  
Baby, I hold the key  
Believe me when I say  
My love can set you free  
~Sara Evans, Show Me the Way to Your Heart

"Are you sure? He _never_ gets sick."

Fighting the overwhelming impulse to grab Hasukawa by the shoulders and shake him until some semblance of sense fell into place in the puzzle box of his mind, Mitsuru massaged his aching eyeballs.

Taking a deep, calming breath, he counted backwards from ten in his head, desperately seeking that calm, happy place he so longed to be in.

"_I_ know that. _You_ know that. _Everybody_ seems to know that, except for him. So why don't you just march right on in there and tell him to his face that he can't _possibly_ be sick?"

"Uhhh..."

Placing his hands on his hips, Mitsuru scowled at the shorter boy, violet eyes narrowed.

"Well?"

Hasukawa stared up at Mitsuru, his mind racing as he scrambled for a suitable reply.

"I...er...that is... Oh geez, look at the time. I gotta go!"

With those oh so brave words, Hasukawa Kazuya turned tail and ran, leaving Mitsuru standing in the hallway outside his room gaping after the redhead in astonishment.

"Huh. Never thought he'd try _that_ trick. He's finally learning." Mitsuru muttered to himself, feeling a strange sort of pride in the dense redhead.

And then he heard the sound that had caused him no end of misery for the past two days:

"Mitsuruuuu!"

Closing his eyes, Mitsuru murmured a calming mantra to himself.

"I will not kill my best friend. I will not kill my best friend. I will not kill my best friend. I will not -"

The silvery tinkle of a bell broke his concentration, and suddenly the thought of homicide didn't seem quite so appalling. Certainly, the judge would go easy on him...what was that term again? Mitigating circumstances... 

The sound of a lung-clearing cough reached his ears, and Mitsuru's expression softened, a small smile crossing his face.

_Oh, what the hell. He took care of _me_ when I was sick, and _that_ couldn't have been a walk in the park either._

"Mitsuruuuu!"

Then again, if Shinobu happened _not_ to survive...

Sighing, Mitsuru reluctantly walked into his room, wincing inwardly at the wretched sight that greeted him. 

Shinobu sat in the middle of the room, completely swathed in the warmest blankets they had. He sniffled pitifully as he looked up at Mitsuru. The floor was all but covered by used tissues, wadded up into tiny little balls.

Sitting on the floor next to him, in seeming innocence, was the thrice-damned tool of the devil.

A tiny, silver-plated bell.

Where Shinobu had gotten it was a mystery to Mitsuru, although he knew better than to ask.

Trying not to think of all the billions upon billions of germs inhabiting each tissue ball, Mitsuru inched his way through the mess to sit beside Shinobu.

Blinking slowly up at the blonde, Shinobu was the very picture of abject misery. His eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, lacking their usual malevolent gleam. His nose was red and raw-looking from blowing it so often, and his hair was a disheveled mess.

Stifling a sigh, Mitsuru had to admit the silver-haired boy was definitely...adorable like this. With his guard down, there was none of the icy cool that Shinobu was so famed for. None of that silly inaccessibility he worked so hard at cultivating to get in the way.

In fact, he looked almost...well, kissable.

Mitsuru ducked his head so the other boy wouldn't see the blush that had bloomed on his cheeks. Bad enough that he thought his roommate was attractive, but if Shinobu ever found out...

"What did you want, Shinobu?"

Pleased that his voice didn't betray him, Mitsuru picked at a loose thread at the cuff of his pants. It gave him something else to focus on instead of Shinobu's alluring gray-green eyes, or the delicately sculpted cheekbones, or his - 

Shinobu sneezed violently, breaking him out of his decidedly intimate thoughts. Mitsuru squeezed his eyes shut, biting his bottom lip as he desperately tried to think of the most hideous thing he could to derail that train of thought. Nothing immediately came to mind. All he could think of was how soft Shinobu's lips would feel against his, the way - 

"Mitsuru, I - "

His eyes snapped open as Shinobu's voice sounded inches from his ear, and he suddenly noticed that the other boy was leaning heavily on him - _far_ too close for his own comfort.

Scrambling backwards as fast as he could on his hands and knees, Mitsuru winced as Shinobu lost his balance and toppled forward, sprawling flat out on his face in an undignified heap. 

_Ooooh...he's not going to forget _that_ any time soon._

Reflexively, Mitsuru was already edging towards the safety of the doorway, not wanting to be anywhere Shinobu just then. If there was one thing the silver-haired boy hated more than getting sick, it was being embarrassed. 

He was within an arms length of the doorway, when he heard something that made him stop where he stood. Cocking his head to hear better, Mitsuru's eyes widened slightly as he caught what sounded suspiciously like a sniffle. 

It could have just have been Shinobu's cold - it was really the only reasonable explanation - but somehow, Mitsuru knew that wasn't it. The years he'd known Shinobu had taught him a little of how the other boy worked, and something about him lately was wrong. 

Sighing, Mitsuru squared his shoulders and waded through the used tissues, kneeling beside Shinobu. Tilting his head to the side, Mitsuru's lips quirked into a small smile. He could just barely see Shinobu's lips moving, although whatever he was saying was too quiet for him to hear. It was cute, in a way.

"Here, Shinobu. Let me help you." 

Shinobu offered no resistance as the blonde managed to get him into a more or less upright position, although he didn't seem likely to stay that way. Gritting his teeth and telling his hormones that now was _not_ the time, Mitsuru pulled Shinobu up against him, supporting the other boy's weight.

They sat like that for a long moment, just listening to the sound of each other's breathing; Mitsuru's smooth and even, and Shinobu's labored and a bit ragged on the edges. 

"I hate this."

Mitsuru blinked, jolted from his thoughts by the venom in Shinobu's voice. He felt something inside him twist, and he started to push away from the other boy, when he felt a hand latch onto his forearm.

Startled, he looked askance at his roommate, who was scowling mightily at the floor between his feet. Shinobu's grip on his arm loosened until it was a comforting warmth.

"I hate being so helpless. I hate having to depend on other people for every little thing like this, and I _hate_ being sick!"

The ache in Mitsuru's chest eased, although the memory of it was still fresh in his mind. A wistful smile found its way to his lips, as he resettled into his original position.

"Is it really so bad, Shin? Having somebody else looking after you for once?"

With Shinobu reclining against him, Mitsuru felt the other boy's twitch of dismay. Frowning, he unconsciously tightened his hold on Shinobu, offering what comfort he could.

"I just...I just don't like _not_ being in control of things, Mitsuru." 

_Ahhh...so that's it, ne? Should have known._

"It'll get along without you, you know." He said softly, fighting the nearly overwhelming urge to run his fingers through the tangled mass of hair right in front of him.

"What will?" Shinobu asked curiously, suspicion tingeing his voice.

"The world. You don't have to be in control every little second, Shinobu."

"So _you_ say."

Mitsuru smiled a little at Shinobu's belligerence. Other people called it strength of character, but he knew it for what it really was: stubbornness.

"Oh, really? Then how do explain how the world got along perfectly fine before _you_ happened on the scene?"

"Reincarnation."

"Reincarnation?"

"Yes."

"Tell me, Shinobu, how many past lives have you had?" Mitsuru inquired, trying not to let his smile show in his voice.

"That's not the point." Shinobu informed him snippily.

"Then what is?"

"The point is," Shinobu began, enunciating his words carefully as though he were speaking to a very dimwitted child, "is that I can't allow myself to _get_ sick. Let alone wallow in sloth, like some others I could mention."

Rolling his eyes, Mitsuru sighed. Really. Was there no getting through to him? Shinobu couldn't possibly be that mule headed...could he?

"Fine. Whatever you say, Shinobu. The world is going to collapse if you're not there to oversee everything. The heavens would fall, the mountains would crumble, and it would be just one really big mess without you. Are you happy now?"

Quietly, but filled with an undeniable note of smugness: "Yes."

Mitsuru sighed to himself, wondering how in the holy hells he'd ever managed to fall in love with someone as painfully stubborn and inscrutable as Tezuka Shinobu.

The soft, regular breathing from the boy leaning against him was no help either - Shinobu had fallen asleep. 

_I hope you appreciate what I do for you, Shinobu._Mitsuru thought, sighing in a martyred way, a tad bit miffed that he was - once again - being used as a cushion. 

But damned if he was going to lose all feeling in his legs because there was an impossibly beautiful boy sleeping on him. Shifting his position carefully, so as not to wake Shinobu, Mitsuru made himself as comfortable as he could. Considering the circumstances.

Shinobu slumbered on, unaware of the slender fingers threading gently through his hair as Mitsuru gave in to his earlier desire to touch the silky softness, a small smile on his lips. 

*****************************  
  
  
"Come on, get up."

There were two parts of him that recognized that voice. The first, and definitely less lucid of the two mumbled something undoubtedly rude, but it came out as nothing louder than an irritated grumble. The second, slightly more awake part of him wanted nothing so much as to simply lay there, pressed against the warmth of the body at his back.

"Shinobu, I'm giving you to the count of three, and then I'm dumping your uncooperative butt on the floor."

Gray-green eyes slitted open, sleep hazed and unfocused. Shinobu turned his head slightly in order to get a glimpse of Mitsuru's face.

"What?"

"Well we can't just stay like this all night. I am _not_ sleeping on the floor again, Shinobu. Come on, I'll help you up." 

Shinobu's gaze flicked to the window, his eyes widening imperceptively. It was full dark out, and judging from the muffled snores coming through from either side of their dorm room walls, everyone else had gone to sleep long ago.

_How long was I asleep? And why on earth didn't Mitsuru wake me sooner? He couldn't have been comfortable like that..._

A hand, which was attached to a rather well muscled arm, suddenly appeared in Shinobu's field of vision. Following the appendage upwards, he saw Mitsuru smiling down at him, his eyes glittering with amusement.

"I think maybe we should cut your medicine dosage down - you seem a little out of it."

Glaring at his smirking roommate, Shinobu accepted the offered aid, grunting a little as Mitsuru effortlessly pulled him to his feet. Resenting the hell out of it, Shinobu allowed the blonde to tow him along behind him, his eyelids already beginning to droop.

Stopping at the bunk bed, Mitsuru turned to Shinobu and frowned slightly, his violet eyes troubled. Shinobu was about to ask him what the problem was, when Mitsuru placed his hand on the center of his chest, fingers spread, and gave him a gentle push.

Unsteady on his feet, Shinobu fell backwards, his eyes locked on his roommate's face. Flinching inwardly, he expected the back of his skull to connect with the bottom on Mitsuru's bunk, only to realize that Mitsuru's hand was there, guiding him on the way down, protecting him from harm. 

Once his body made contact with the soft mattress, Shinobu's eyes slid shut of their own accord as sleep beckoned with its sweet siren call. Wriggling a little to make himself comfortable, his eyes popped open as he felt the light weight of a blanket being drawn over him. And then another one. And another. And another, until he could no longer feel the faint chill in the room.

"There, all comfy and cozy?" Mitsuru asked, a peculiar little smirk on his face as he tucked the silver-haired boy into bed. 

"You're enjoying this, aren't you."

Mitsuru's eyebrows vanished into his hairline as he gave his roommate one of his patented'who, me?' looks.

"We definitely need to lower the dosage. You're starting to sound paranoid, Shinobu."

Snorting disdainfully, or trying to - damn his clogged sinuses - Shinobu rolled over as best he could, cocooned within the blankets as he was, turning his back on Mitsuru and his irritatingly cheerful grin.   
  
  
*****************************  
  
  
Mitsuru lay awake for some time after he'd climbed into his own bed, staring at the ceiling above him, and trying to pin down the exact moment he'd fallen for his roommate. A kaleidoscope of memories blurred at the edges, but never completely forgotten, and never truly appreciated until they were gone.

_Che, what does it matter? Not like anything's ever going to come of it. Best to forget it all and move on._

But still, there was that nagging little _something_ within him that just wouldn't go away. The ever annoying 'what if?' that had plagued man since the beginning of time. The 'what if?' didn't deal in optimism or pessimism, but rather it dwelled in that hard to find middle ground, neutral territory, until someone chose to take that last step and reach for it.

_So what if I decide to make the first move? What if something happens between us? What if I ruin our friendship because of it? What if..._

Sighing, Mitsuru closed his eyes and rolled onto his side, the soft sound of snoring drifting upwards. He was tired, and he was only going over old ground, familiar territory, with that line of thought. And it was getting him nowhere fast.

_If wishes were fishes..._

  
*****************************

  
The next morning, not unexpectedly, dawned bright and early, and along with it was one decidedly overly chipper blonde boy.

"Come on, Shinobu...you know you have to take your medicine. I know it tastes bad, but that means it _has_ to be good for you, ne?"

Biting back an unfairly harsh reply, Shinobu burrowed deeper into his blankets until he was completely covered. Out of sight, out of mind...or something to that effect.

"Oi, you're not making this easy on me, you know. This hurts me more than it does you. It's not like - "

"Mitsuru, if you so much as utter another trite cliché, I will make sure you regret it."

"Shinobu, you're acting like a child! Just take your medicine like a man."

Hidden deep within the little caverns formed by his blankets, Shinobu's eyes narrowed dangerously. No one dared call Tezuka Shinobu a child and got away with it. Especially not someone who'd dared to wake him from a decidedly pleasant dream and then proceeded to spout hackneyed clichés at him in a non-stop stream. By all that was holy, Mitsuru was going to _pay_.

As soon as he could untangle himself from the damnable mess of twisted blankets wrapped around him like the grasping tentacles of an insane octopus. 

"Shinobu...are you stuck?"

_That's it, Ikeda. Laugh it up while you can._

"Mmmrphgh."

"Do you need help?" Mitsuru asked sweetly, "Because if you do, you know all you have to do is ask for help."

Shinobu went still at those words, his eyes widening a little. He knew he was hopelessly entangled in his blankets, but it galled him to have to admit to needing help. Call it a quirk, a hang-up, but the thought of actually asking someone else for help - even Mitsuru - made him feel...exposed? No. More like...vulnerable. And being vulnerable meant you could be hurt, and he didn't want that. 

Unaware of his roommate's internal dilemma, Mitsuru shot an impatient glance at the desk clock. He had to be honest with himself - there was really only so much he could do.

"Fine. Have it your way, Shinobu. I have class in ten minutes and I don't want to be late, so I guess I'll see you later."

Placing Shinobu's cold medicine on the desk, he bent to pick up his book bag, and paused as he heard what sounded suspiciously like muttered cursing coming from the Shinobu-sized lump on the bottom bunk. 

"I'll have Hasukawa check in on you later for me. I'll see you after classes, Shinobu." 

It must have been the devil that put those words in his mouth, because Mitsuru knew it sure as hell wasn't him. 

Shinobu's eyes widened at the thought of Hasukawa finding him helplessly tangled up in his bedding. He struggled wildly for a moment before subsiding as he realized he was well and truly ensnared in the blankets. His shoulders drooped and his eyes sagged shut.

"Help?"

The resigned, almost defeated tone in that one word tugged at Mitsuru's heartstrings like nothing else could. Moving over to the bed, He examined the snarl of blankets thoughtfully, violet eyes narrowed. Leaning down, he grabbed hold of the corner of a dark blue comforter and tugged. Discarding it to the side as it came free, Mitsuru carefully worked on the rest of the blankets until only one remained. 

"There. That wasn't so hard, now was it?" He asked cheerfully, mindful of Shinobu's dinged pride.

"I thought you said you had class this morning?"

Mitsuru smiled and sat down on the bed next to Shinobu, who pulled the blanket down to level an annoyed glare at him.

"Oh that? Some things are more important, you know." Mitsuru said airily, shrugging casually. 

"Now take your medicine like a good boy, or I'll tell Hasukawa what happened. You know he'd have a good laugh over that."

"You fight dirty." 

Getting up to get the medicine, Mitsuru glanced over his shoulder and winked cheekily.

"What do you expect? I learned from the best."

*********************************************************

TBC...^_^


	2. Part 2

The boys might be a tad bit ooc since it's been so long since I've tried writing them...especially Shinobu.

>_  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Greenwood that would get me sued, I don't own the song "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" by Sara Evans (but what lovely song it is), and anything I wrote about concerning reincarnation is what I remember from a conversation I had at lunch a long time ago in high school. >_  
  
Feedback is appreciated! ^_^

Hoshiko ^_^

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**Take My Hand**

**Part 2**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_You've gotta take my hand  
And lead me to where you are  
You know I'll follow  
To show me the way to your heart  
Think you've locked your heart away  
Baby, I hold the key  
Believe me when I say  
My love can set you free_

_~_Sara Evans~ _Show Me the Way to Your Heart ~_

It had been four days since the 'blanket incident' - as it had come to be known - when Mitsuru entered his dorm room to find his roommate in a decidedly _huffy_ mood.   
  
Shinobu's temperature had gone down considerably, and his sinuses were beginning to clear. And to make things even better, he hadn't coughed or sneezed in two days. Much to Mitsuru's delight, the little silver bell had gone 'missing' several days prior. He suspected that Hasukawa had had something to do with it, but the other boy denied any such involvement. Shinobu hardly seemed to take notice of its disappearance.   
  
After a full day of Mitsuru's constant nagging and overall fussing, Shinobu had all but ordered the blonde to go to class in order to get a little peace and quiet.   
  
Walking into the room, Mitsuru smiled a little at the sight that greeted him. Shinobu was sitting cross-legged on the bottom bunk, wrapped in the warmest blanket they had. A book was balanced on his knees, several sticky notes poking out the top to mark different sections. A notebook was placed on the bed in front of him, the page that was visible half-filled with Shinobu's almost painfully neat handwriting.   
  
At first glance, things looked to be peaceful, and Mitsuru was almost tempted to say 'normal', until he took a closer look at Shinobu. His eyes were narrowed in irritation, and there was something in them that warned Mitsuru to tread cautiously around his roommate.   
  
"How are you feeling, Shinobu?" Mitsuru asked carefully, making sure to take a wide berth around the bunk bed as he moved to his desk.  
  
Shinobu looked up, gray-green eyes narrowing even further, the skin around his eyes tightening in annoyance.   
  
"If one more person asks me that today - "  
  
Flashing Shinobu a grin, Mitsuru loosened his tie and crossed to the closet, pulling his uniform jacket off as he went.  
  
"Did Shun come see you this afternoon? He mentioned something about coming to see you at breakfast this morning."  
  
Glaring at Mitsuru's back as the other boy changed into jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt, Shinobu bit back an unfairly harsh retort.   
  
"Yes, Shun came by after breakfast. Hasukawa stopped by after lunch. And then the rest of the dorm came in at random intervals for the rest of the day."  
  
_And you didn't come by at all, Mitsuru._  
  
Turning to look at Shinobu, Mitsuru tipped his head to the side in a quizzical fashion.  
  
"You sound...upset about it, Shinobu. They're just worried about you, you know. You've never been sick before."  
  
_No use in getting upset about it. He's been taking care of me all this time. I can't expect him to spend every moment of his day with me._  
  
So why had he been disappointed when Mitsuru _hadn't_ poked his head around the door to check in on him that day? There was no _reason_ for Mitsuru to visit him between classes when they shared the same dorm room.  
  
Biting back a sigh, Shinobu gestured at the textbook in his lap.  
  
"Yes, I know. And I've been trying to make up for it the past week. If the others would just stop interrupting me, I could - "  
  
Shinobu was cut off mid-sentence as Mitsuru swooped in, grabbing the textbook and moving well out of his roommate's reach in one fluid motion. Shinobu caught a glimpse of violet eyes and a field of blue as Mitsuru stepped away.   
  
"What's this?" Mitsuru asked, flipping through the book curiously as he perched on the edge of the windowsill.  
  
Lifting an eyebrow as a piece of paper came loose and fluttered to the floor, Mitsuru picked it up and unfolded it. Skimming over the words written on it, Mitsuru's eyes narrowed. Carefully refolding the paper, Mitsuru placed it in the book and looked up at Shinobu.  
  
"Shinobu, how did you get your homework assignments? I told everyone not to..."  
  
Trailing off as he caught the _look_ on Shinobu's face, Mitsuru sighed in exasperation.   
  
He should have known, really.   
  
Given a choice between facing Mitsuru or Shinobu's wrath, there was really only one choice for any self-respecting person. And most of them were far too attached to life to even want to risk so much as annoying Shinobu.  
  
"It was Hasukawa, wasn't it?"  
  
Shinobu somehow managed to look smug without his facial expression changing in the slightest.  
  
"And after I went to all that trouble getting Hasukawa-sensei to excuse you from classes until you were feeling better."  
  
"Yes, I know."  
  
Shaking his head, Mitsuru looked back down at the book he still held in his hands. Sometimes he couldn't help but think Shinobu was a lost cause.   
  
"You can hardly blame me, can you? Shinobu, you're _sick._ You shouldn't go to class until you're headaches are gone and you can breathe with your mouth closed. And you shouldn't be doing your homework right now, either. Do you _want_ to make your cold worse?"  
  
Crossing his arms over his chest, Shinobu traded glares with Mitsuru.  
  
"How," He asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "will doing homework make my cold worse?"  
  
"It's not the homework, Shinobu. It's the fact that you're getting up and walking around when you shouldn't be. You're sick, you know. You need to get lots of rest, drink a lot of fluids, and...and basically everything you're _not_ doing!"  
  
"You sound like an old woman."  
  
Mitsuru's head snapped up, violet eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I said," Shinobu said as clearly as he could, "that you sound like an old woman. I'm not fragile, Mitsuru. I am not going to let a simple _cold_ keep me from going about my life."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Mitsuru got to his feet and started pacing, tapping the textbook against his leg as he did.  
  
"I never said you were fragile, Shinobu. I'm...I'm just worried, all right? You've never been sick before, it's...weird."  
  
Snorting gently, Shinobu uncrossed his arms, the expression in his eyes softening slightly.   
  
"_You_ think it's weird?"  
  
Stopping in his pacing, Mitsuru smiled over at Shinobu a bit sheepishly.  
  
"Well...I mean..."  
  
"Mitsuru, I'm fine. It's just a cold."  
  
Sighing, Mitsuru walked over to the bunk bed, taking a seat beside Shinobu.  
  
"I know, Shinobu. It's just...you're my friend, and I worry about you. I don't want anything happening to you."  
  
Placing a hand on Mitsuru's shoulder, Shinobu leaned in close.  
  
"Thank you, Mitsuru. But I _am_ fine, and...I worry about you too."  
  
Glancing at Shinobu, Mitsuru smiled.  
  
"You do?"  
  
Shinobu nodded, moving closer.  
  
"I do."  
  
Mitsuru's smile widened.  
  
It was so nice, having Shinobu close enough to felt he heat radiating off his body. It was nice, smelling the herbal scent of the shampoo he used. It was nice, the way Shinobu's chin fit so perfectly at junction of neck and shoulder. It was nice, the way -   
  
Mitsuru blinked as Shinobu grabbed the textbook from his lax grip and scooted away to the foot of the bunk, picking up his abandoned notebook and pencil as he did.  
  
"Now go away. I have homework to do."  
  
Sighing, Mitsuru got to his feet and gathered his things for a trip to the baths, muttering darkly under his breath all the while. 

*********

"Shinobu-sempai?"  
  
Marking the passage he'd just read with a sticky note, Shinobu looked up to see Shun peeking around the half-open door at him, a cheerful smile on his face.   
  
Some of the annoyance Shinobu felt at being interrupted - yet _again_ - vanished at the sight of that smile.   
  
"Yes, Shun?" He asked, closing the textbook and setting it aside for the moment.  
  
Shun's smile, if possible, widened as the younger boy stepped into the room, shutting the door behind himself.   
  
"I just wanted to see if you were all right, is all. You haven't been acting like yourself the last few days, Shinobu-sempai."  
  
Shifting so that Shun would have room to sit on the bunk next to him, Shinobu cocked his head to one side, regarding Shun thoughtfully. He was up to something, that much was clear.  
  
"I've been sick, Shun" Shinobu stated, as though that was all there was to it.  
  
Shaking his head as he sat down, Shun frowned up at Shinobu, forehead furrowed in thought.   
  
"No...that's not it. And you're still sick. Mitsuru-sempai told us not to let you do anything that would make you even more sick."  
  
Shinobu's eyes narrowed at Shun's matter of fact tone.  
  
"Mitsuru told you that, did he?"  
  
"Yeah. He also asked us to look in on you for him, since he's been so busy these last couple of days."  
  
Shinobu took immediate interest in what Shun had to say.  
  
"He asked you to check on me?"  
  
Shun nodded absently, clearly deep in thought.  
  
"Yeah, but we wanted to anyway."  
  
"...I see."  
  
"Shinobu-sempai? If it's not your cold that's been bothering you, then what is it?"  
  
There were times, Shinobu reflected sourly, that Shun's perceptiveness could be a curse.   
  
Or at the very least an annoyance.  
  
"I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about, Shun"  
  
Shaking his head again, Shun opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again. A look of intense frustration flitted across his face, and Shun suddenly got to his feet, hands balling into fists at his sides.  
  
"Shun?"  
  
Shun opened his mouth again, and almost immediately snapped it shut. Finally, he raised a hand and uncurling his fingers, jabbed Shinobu in the center of his chest with his index finger.  
  
"_Broken._"  
  
"Pardon me?"  
  
Shaking his head again, Shun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Shinobu watched calmly, head tipped to the side. Obviously, whatever Shun had on his mind was something of great importance to the younger boy.  
  
"Shinobu-sempai, you are...you..." Shun paused, opening his eyes and meeting Shinobu's eyes unflinchingly. "You're broken. Something inside of you is broken."  
  
Shinobu felt his amusement vanish in light of Shun's words.  
  
"Shun, I don't think you know me well enough to - "  
  
"That's just it, Shinobu-sempai. I don't know you, and neither does anyone else. Except for Mitsuru-sempai. Don't you _get_ it?"  
  
"I'm afraid I have to say that I don't, Shun." Shinobu said coldly, dismissal plain in his voice.   
  
Sighing, Shun cast a last hopeful look at Shinobu as he headed for the door.   
  
"Shinobu-sempai? Don't miss him this time."  
  
The door closed behind Shun before Shinobu could ask what he'd meant by his cryptic words.  
  
Sighing inwardly, Shinobu turned to pick up the textbook, flipping open to where he'd left off, and found that he no longer felt in the mood to study any more that night.   
  
_What did Shun mean by that? 'Don't miss him this time.'_  
  
Somehow, those words stirred a chord within Shinobu.

*********

Opening the door to his dorm room, Mitsuru expected to find Shinobu still bent over his textbooks, diligently slaving away on his missed schoolwork. What he found instead was a darkened room and the chabudai that he was lucky enough to find with his shin.  
  
Swearing under his breath, Mitsuru hobbled over to his desk, and was about to flick the desk lamp on, when he saw movement at the corner of his eye. Looking up, his breath caught in his throat at what he saw.  
  
Shinobu, wrapped in a blanket stood at the window with the curtains pulled back to let the moonlight spill into the room. Shinobu was bathed in the silvery brilliance, his hair glimmering molten silver, his skin taking on an ethereal glow.  
  
_He's beautiful._   
  
"Shinobu?"  
  
Turning to look at Mitsuru, Shinobu frowned slightly.  
  
"Mitsuru? Am I broken?"  
  
Blinking at the unexpected question, Mitsuru made his way to the window and Shinobu.   
  
"'Broken?'"  
  
Turning back to look out the window, Shinobu raised a hand to trace the outline of his reflection on the glass.  
  
"Shun told me that something inside of me is broken. Was he right?"  
  
"What else did Shun say to you?"   
  
Shinobu shrugged, pulling the blanket more firmly around himself as though he'd felt a draft.  
  
"He said 'Don't miss him this time.'"  
  
Mitsuru's expression cleared, a sheepish smile crossing his face.  
  
"Ehh...he did, did he?"  
  
Shinobu nodded, regarding Mitsuru's reflection thoughtfully.  
  
"I think I can explain that one, actually...do you remember what you said a few days ago? About reincarnation?"  
  
Shinobu frowned.  
  
_A few days ago...? When did I say anything about reincar - _  
  
"Mitsuru, I was joking."  
  
Wincing at the rebuke he heard in Shinobu's voice, Mitsuru nodded.  
  
"I know, I know. But...well, it got me thinking, you know. And I _did_ have a lot of time to think about things when you fell asleep on me."  
  
"You're trying to confuse the point, Mitsuru. What does what I said that day have anything to do with what Shun said _today?_"  
  
"Well, it's not the same without you around at mealtimes, Shinobu. I guess I mentioned something about reincarnation to Shun, and then...well, you know Shun."  
  
Turning to face Mitsuru, Shinobu's eyes glittered silver as the light caught them.  
  
"The point, Mitsuru?"  
  
"We talked about a lot of stuff...like destiny and fate...and soul mates..."  
  
Mitsuru looked away from Shinobu as he said that last, finding that it was easier to talk to Shinobu when he wasn't faced with utter perfection.  
  
"Soul...mates?"   
  
Shinobu said the words as though they were alien to him, and perhaps they were. The concept itself he understood, it was simply the reality that escaped him.  
  
"Yeah...you know...the whole 'two parts of a whole' thing. 'One soul in two bodies.'" Mitsuru said, a hint of embarrassment leaking into his voice. "Kind of silly, huh?"  
  
Shinobu stared at Mitsuru, things suddenly becoming clear in his mind.   
  
_Soul mates. So that's what Shun was talking about. 'Two parts of a whole.' That's what he meant when he said I was 'broken.'_  
  
But if that was true, then that meant...  
  
"What else did you talk about?"  
  
Mitsuru looked up, wary of Shinobu's neutral tone of voice.   
  
"You know what they say about reincarnation?"  
  
Silvered eyes slid to meet his, a spark of curiosity in their depths.  
  
"They say that your friends and family are always with you in each incarnation in some form or another. Kind of like constants or something, I guess."   
  
Shinobu inclined his head in understanding.  
  
_Constants, hmm? I suppose I could do worse..._  
  
"Do you realize that means?" Mitsuru said suddenly, violet eyes gleaming with amusement, his lips pulled up into a grin. "Hasukawa could have been your father in a past life. And Nagisa could have been your mother!"  
  
Shinobu's eyes widened fractionally, just enough for Mitsuru to notice.  
  
"Not a very pleasant thought, is it?"  
  
Shinobu angled a glance at Mitsuru, the barest hint of a smile on his lips.  
  
"And what about you, Mitsuru? What were you to me in a past life?"  
  
_Friend? Brother? _Soul mate?_ What were you, Mitsuru, that you mean so much to me now? Or does what happened in a past life matter in this one?_  
  
"Illegitimate half-brother."  
  
Shinobu blinked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, you asked."  
  
Shaking his head, Shinobu hid his smile behind the folds of his blanket as turned back to stare at the moonlit sky outside.  
  
"I did, didn't I?"   
  
"Are you sorry you did?"  
  
"Not really. It's nice to know that not all of my relatives have been...unstable."  
  
Mitsuru beamed.  
  
"Thanks, Shinobu."  
  
"I was talking about Nagisa."  
  
Watching Mitsuru's reflection for the blonde's reaction, Shinobu pulled the blanket up around himself a little more, the better to hide his smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hmmm...I wasn't sure if I should just leave this fic 'as is', or if I should write another part...let me know what you think, eh? If I get enough votes for another part, I'll see what I can do...^^;;


	3. Part 3

Hee... Well, thanks to everyone who asked for another part to this fic. It took a while, but here it is. They might be a little OOC in this part, it's been a while since I've written the boys you know. >_ Anyhow, thanks again for taking the time to comment on this fic everyone! ^_^

Hoshiko ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Greenwood that would get me sued and I don't own the song "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" by Sara Evans (but what lovely song it is). 

Feedback is appreciated! ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Take My Hand - Part 3**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You've gotta take my hand  
And lead me to where you are  
You know I'll follow  
To show me the way to your heart  
Think you've locked your heart away  
Baby, I hold the key  
Believe me when I say  
My love can set you free

~ _ Show Me the Way to Your Heart_ ~ Sara Evans

"So do you think it worked?"  
  
Grumbling at the world in general, Hasukawa tossed and turned in an attempt to find a comfortable position to sleep in. It was nigh impossible, what with the soft drone of voices coming through the thin walls from next door. That and the occasional snatches of quiet humming coming from directly above him in what was usually _his_ bed.  
  
Opening his eyes Hasukawa bit back an irritated sigh as he turned his head to see a fall of pink hair and Shun's bright eyes looking back at him upside down.   
  
"Do I think what worked, Shun?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Shun gave his roommate a look that quite clearly relayed his dismay at Hasukawa's inability to keep up with the flow of conversation. Really, it wasn't as though he was speaking in tongues, was it?   
  
"The thing with Mitsuru-sempai and Shinobu-sempai. Do you think it worked?"  
  
Eyeing Shun with no small bit of annoyance, Hasukawa shrugged as best as he was able lying down.   
  
"How am I supposed to know? And how do you do that without falling off?"  
  
Either blinking at Hasukawa's obvious lack of interest or at his unexpected question, Shun didn't answer at first.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
Eyes widening as he struggled to control his temper, Hasukawa gripped the blankets tightly, running through several relaxation exercises in his mind before he attempted to speak.  
  
"How do you hang off the side of the bed like that and not fall off? I can't do that."  
  
If there was a trace of resentment in his voice at his confession, Shun didn't take note of it.  
  
"I don't know, Suka. I just can I guess. So do you think it worked?"  
  
Hasukawa supposed that if it had been anyone else but Shun watching him with that earnest look on his face - albeit upside down at the moment - he would have suspected the other boy was being deliberately obtuse. How many times in how many ways could he say 'I don't know?' before he managed to get through to Shun with the fact that he simply didn't know?  
  
It wasn't as though Shun was particularly dense. In fact, the exact opposite was true. So then why was Shun giving him such a hard time over the entire situation?   
  
"I don't know, Shun. Why is it so important to you if it worked or not? It's not really your business, is it?"  
  
Wincing inwardly as he saw a flash of hurt in Shun's eyes, Hasukawa felt a stab of remorse for speaking so...well, it hadn't been harsh exactly. More like needlessly blunt. Nevertheless, it seemed like he was always doing or saying things that hurt Shun in small ways like that. He just couldn't seem to find that neutral ground necessary to deal with his roommate's overly sensitive nature quite yet.  
  
"Shun?"  
  
Sighing, the other boy shook his head as though he didn't know quite how to answer.  
  
"I don't know, Suka. It's just...they both seem so lonely don't you think? And they're such good friends already. Don't you think it would be a good thing if they had someone to be with? Even if... Even if it's not with each other?"  
  
Startled, Hasukawa stared at Shun. He knew his roommate had been scheming to get Mitsuru and Shinobu to notice their obvious attraction to each other for some time now, but... It was just strange to hear Shun talking the way he was now. Hasukawa had just managed to get used to the idea of the older boys as a couple in his mind and now Shun was going off in a different direction?   
  
"What are you talking about, Shun? I thought you wanted them to get together."  
  
Shun sighed again, a hand stealing into sight to play with his hair despite his precarious position dangling off the side of the upper bunk.  
  
"Oh I do, Suka. I really, really do hope they get together. It's just...well, they're just so _dense_. Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever figure out that they like each other."  
  
Hasukawa smiled as he started to understand just what it was Shun was thinking. Sometimes the other boy could be so amazingly simple to read, and other times he was as difficult to get a bead on as Shinobu was.   
  
"So you think that maybe they won't, and you're trying to think of people who would be good for them?"  
  
Shun nodded, a strangely vulnerable look in his eyes that made Hasukawa want to take extra care win what he said next. It wasn't often when Shun needed reassurance like what he was asking for with his eyes at that moment. And when he did, Hasukawa felt an inexplicable urge to want to provide his friend with that reassurance. It was a small way to repay Shun for all the things he did for him on a daily basis.  
  
"Shun...you've already done everything you could to point them in the right direction. It's up to them to figure the rest out. Don't worry about what happens next all right? It's their decision."  
  
Smiling inwardly as he saw that Shun was far from satisfied with his answer, Hasukawa burrowed deeper into the soft downy blankets he was using.   
  
"But..."  
  
"Shun, remember what you told me earlier when we were talking about reincarnation? Mitsuru and Shinobu have been at this forever. They'll get it right one of these days. And if they don't, they'll get another chance some day. Don't worry about it."  
  
Sighing, Shun nodded his understanding although Hasukawa couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem very pleased with it.  
  
"All right. I still think - "  
  
"Shun, stop worrying and go to sleep. There's nothing else you can do about it tonight."  
  
Wrinkling his nose in mild irritation at having been interrupted so rudely, Shun's face disappeared from Hasukawa's field of vision as he pulled himself up onto the top bunk. Smiling as he heard Shun shifting around trying to get comfortable in his bed, Hasukawa couldn't resist asking the question that had been bugging him the whole night.  
  
"Explain to me again why you wanted to sleep in my bunk for the night would you, Shun?"  
  
Although he couldn't see it, Hasukawa definitely heard the smile in Shun's voice.  
  
"I just wanted to be on top for once, Suka. You never let me."

*********

"Shinobu?"  
  
Lifting his head at the sound of Mitsuru's voice, Shinobu turned sleepy eyes on his roommate. The tiniest hint of a smile played about his lips as he snuggled against the warmth at his back.  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
Mitsuru grinned down at him, absently playing with the silver hair that tickled his throat and felt like cool silk against his skin. He could have died happy at that moment, just having Shinobu in his arms like that.   
  
"_Do_ you believe in reincarnation? For real, I mean."   
  
Frowning, Shinobu looked away from Mitsuru in order to clear his thoughts. It was far too difficult to think clearly with those violet eyes staring into his. Playing with the edges of the blanket that was wrapped around them, Shinobu tried to ignore the strange flutter in his stomach as Mitsuru's fingers trailed down the side of his neck.   
  
"Why? Does it matter if I do or not?" He asked, eyes going to the window.   
  
The curtains had been pulled aside allowing the moonlight fully into their room. Tipping his head to the side like a cat basking in the sun, Shinobu seemed almost to absorb the cool moonlight filtering down on them.   
  
"I was just curious."  
  
Sighing, Shinobu dug his bare toes into the carpet, puzzled as to why he was having problems answering such a simple question. Surely it couldn't be that difficult a thing to answer. A simple yes or no would have sufficed. It wasn't as though there was a right or wrong answer to the question. No penalties for answering wrongly.   
  
"And besides, you got Shun all worked up about it too. You should have heard half of the stuff he was saying to Hasukawa. I swear Shun gets more like you every day. It's kind of creepy." Mitsuru muttered, wriggling around to get into a more comfortable position behind Shinobu.  
  
Blinking as Mitsuru's words registered, Shinobu felt a niggling sense of annoyance tinged with indignation. Both of which were instantly forgotten when Mitsuru's fingers began massaging his shoulders.  
  
"He does, does he? How so?"  
  
As far as Shinobu had noticed, Shun still seemed his everyday, cheerful self. Delighting in the absurdly simple things in life while somehow managing to make them seem like the miracles they were. It was mind boggling how Shun did that on a daily basis.   
  
Mitsuru laughed softly, his fingers wandering from Shinobu's shoulders to play along his spine with butterfly touches. Soft and barely there.  
  
"He's becoming a little schemer just like you. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the way he's got Hasukawa wrapped around his little finger."  
  
Shinobu snorted. As if that was such a difficult thing to accomplish.   
  
"And then there's the matter of what he said to you earlier." Mitsuru added, unable to keep the smirk from his voice even if he'd wanted to.   
  
It was too rare of a thing when someone - especially Shun -got the better of Tezuka Shinobu not to appreciate the subtle genius of it. Shun was going to be a terror when he came into his full potential under Shinobu's guidance. He looked too sweet and innocent for anyone to ever suspect him of evildoing.  
  
"Are you implying that I'm corrupting him?"   
  
Smiling, Mitsuru shook his head even though he knew Shinobu wouldn't be able to see it.   
  
"Heaven forbid, Shinobu. You know I'd never imply something like that."  
  
"Hn."  
  
Smiling, Mitsuru leaned back on his hands watching the way the moonlight played over Shinobu's features. He couldn't help but stare, ensnared by Shinobu's elegant beauty. And wondering what he had done to deserve the other boy's trust so fully. Wondering price he could have paid to earn something that went beyond priceless.  
  
"So do you? Believe in reincarnation? You never answered my question."  
  
There was an almost fragile edge to his voice that Shinobu nearly missed, lulled into lowering his guard by the familiar warmth at his back and the even sound of Mitsuru's breathing. Twisting around to face Mitsuru, Shinobu caught Mitsuru's face in his hands, moon-silvered eyes boring into violet.   
  
"There are a lot of things that I believe in, Mitsuru, and there are a lot of things that I don't. One thing I believe is that if such a thing as reincarnation exists, then it must be a cruel twist of fate that forces soul mates apart to search for each other through countless lifetimes without a guarantee that they will ever find each other again."  
  
Shinobu paused, drawing back as he saw something begin to shatter in the back of Mitsuru's eyes as he spoke. One corner of his mouth quirked upwards in to a sad little smile, the look in his eyes softening as his thumbs brushed Mitsuru's cheeks gently.  
  
"But another thing I believe is that if such a thing as reincarnation exists, then it must one of God's miracles that lets soul mates find love and happiness with each other through countless lifetimes. It depends on which way Destiny and Fate leads them in that lifetime. Do you understand, Mitsuru?"  
  
Reaching out to brush a sweep of silver hair from Shinobu's forehead Mitsuru nodded shakily, his eyes glistening suspiciously in the moonlight.  
  
"I do, Shinobu. I do." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So...yes. _;;


End file.
